Health

Five foods to help you detox after St Patrick's Day

Jen Curran, co-founder of wellness-focused restaurant Tony & Jen’s, recommends foods you can eat to help you feel less delicate today

An avocado might help you feel better
An avocado might help you feel better An avocado might help you feel better

All the luck of the Irish can’t stop that hazy feeling on the morning after the night before but certain foods can help.

St Patrick’s Day is synonymous with a few things - wearing green, breaking Lent, shamrocks and an extra Guinness or two. After enjoying ourselves a little too much, the inevitable banging headache and cotton bud mouth kicks in which means it’s time for a detox.

The premise of a detox is simple, to eliminate offensive articles from the body which in this case is probably booze and a pizza. Alcohol can be metabolised in small amounts naturally but if you’ve gone overboard certain foods may help.

1 Protein

Eating an adequate amount of protein is essential for liver function to help break down that extra Guinness - think chicken, eggs and fish. To maintain normal liver function, the average person needs 1.1g protein per kilo of body weight. In real terms that’s around two to three cooked chicken breasts and not a family feast from KFC.  

2 Curry

One of the biggest markers of a hangover is high levels of inflammation. Yes, that means a night out on the tiles is the equivalent of spraining your ankle. There is a lot of hype right now about the ability of turmeric to reduce inflammation so that means the curry (full of turmeric) you’ve been dreaming of is definitely a great idea. 

3 Avocados

These beauties are loaded glutathione which is an important detoxification agent in the brain. Hard to say but very easy to consume, glutathione is naturally produced in the liver but is also abundant in many foods including this delicious kitchen staple. 

4 Black Stuff

 It sounds odd but a new craze in America is activated charcoal lemonade. It works by attaching to chemicals it encounters in the body and preventing their absorption. The charcoal can reduce hangovers by removing toxins or disagreeable drink ingredients. We’re experimenting with an activated charcoal latte at Tony & Jen’s so watch this space…

5 Green Goodness

One of the easiest and simplest things you can do is to start your day with a blended drink. It can be good to give your digestive system a breather so allow your body to slowly wake up after the night before with a nutrient blast. Blitz filtered water, spinach, cucumber, apple, ginger, lemon and pineapple together for a refreshing, restorative and delicious drink.

As well as eating the right foods, exercise is a great way to help you feel better. If you can stomach it, move as vigorously as possible. Sprinting or star jumps will stimulate the lymphatic system (the body’s bin men) to remove toxins. If that all seems like it will leave your stomach upside down, a fast paced walk will help too. 

For more information on Tony & Jen's restaurant on Belfast's Lisburn Road visit www.tonyandjens.co.uk or follow the team on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram @tonyandjens.